[3rd POV]
"Brother, I'm hungry."
Kyouya returned home, and as expected, the little troublemaker was already back, and she was clearly starving.
It seemed like she was ready to eat anything.
"Sorry, I came home late. How about we go out and eat something today?"
"Yay!"
Ritsuka, being a little kid, loved her brother's cooking, but after eating it for so many days, she was eager to try something different.
"Let's go have mapo tofu."
"You really do love mapo tofu, huh?"
Whether it was because of Kyouya's influence or not, Ritsuka had developed a strong interest in spicy food from a young age.
...
Hongzhou Feast Hall: Taishan
This is a restaurant that Kyouya often visits.
He also gets discounts for being a "food champion," making it an affordable place to eat.
However, for some reason, today, Kyouya felt the urge to turn around and head straight home.
"What a coincidence."
It was a woman with red hair.
Kyouya didn't want to get involved with mages right now if possible.
Moreover, there was someone sitting across from Aoko who looked very similar to her.
The biggest difference between them was their hair color—it wasn't pure "red."
This is the sister?
"Ritsuka, how about we go to a different restaurant today?"
"No, I want to eat mapo tofu from this place."
Ritsuka, of course, had no idea just how dangerous these two women were.
To her, they were simply two pretty older sisters.
He really had no choice.
It wouldn't be such a big deal if it was just in the same restaurant.
After all, Rin had said that these two weren't evil magus who randomly killed people but still...
"Sorry, but there are no available seats in the restaurant at the moment. Do you mind sharing a table with these two ladies?"
The waitress recognized Kyouya, but it was peak dining time, and there really weren't any available seats.
The only remaining ones were the two next to the Aozaki sisters.
"We don't mind."
Aoko didn't mind.
After all, what they were about to discuss was well-known among magus, and there was no need to hide anything.
"Two servings of mapo tofu ramen."
He had calmed down by now and could only take things one step at a time.
"Alright, two servings of mapo tofu ramen."
The waitress led Kyouya to the table, but the tense situation he had expected didn't happen.
The Aozaki sisters seemed to treat this like a casual conversation with long-lost old friends.
How's work been lately?
Have you found a boyfriend?
Have you run into any problems recently?
...
This made Kyouya who had been cautious, relax a little.
As he quietly ate his noodles, time seemed to fly by.
At the same time, he noticed that these two women had appetites that could rival his own.
"When was the last time we ate together?"
After the meal, Touko spoke up, and her question still sounded like a casual conversation, but her tone had changed.
The closeness had turned into distance and coldness.
At that moment, Touko was a magus.
"Probably... the last time."
Aoko's response became more superficial as well.
She immediately sensed the change in her sister's behavior and understood that she had thoroughly adopted her identity as a magus.
"Is that young man a local magus?"
"Yes, the apprentice of the overseer. Although she's just a kid, she's already stronger than I was back then."
Aoko didn't deny that she was immature back then.
In comparison, Rin, who had received solid magical training, was indeed far stronger than she had been back then.
Of course, the result would be different if they actually fought.
"Kid, I'm planning to set up a barrier in a secluded area soon. This will minimize the damage of our fight and prevent it from causing too much trouble for Fuyuki City."
Touko was setting up the barrier while Aoko stepped onto a battlefield that was disadvantageous to her, especially in a fight with no magic.
This was an undeniable disadvantage for Aoko.
However, considering her own poor magical abilities, she had been using the same "Magic Bullet" for years, and she had no choice but to agree to these unfavorable conditions.
"Don't go out at night, and avoid secluded areas. Even though we'll set up a barrier to keep outsiders away, if you happen to step into that area, either of us will treat you as the other's ally."
This was a matter of the Aozaki family, and neither Aoko nor Touko wanted anyone else to get involved.
Once the barrier was set up, any living being other than the two would be considered an enemy.
"Let me pay the bill. I'll cover the young man's share too."
Touko stood up to settle the bill. Although Aoko was a magus, Touko didn't think she was particularly wealthy.
Moreover, she had recently made a nice profit off a wealthy heir, so why not use the opportunity?
"You're so generous. I heard you spent a lot to lift your seal, and now you can afford to treat others too?"
"Well, unlike you, who's just a bum, I actually have a job."
This was the last conversation between the two sisters before their final fight.
After Touko left, Aoko slowly got up from her seat.
After leaving, Ritsuka, who had finally finished her noodles, looked at the empty seats and asked, "Aren't those two sisters pretty close?"
"Close? Not really."
He immediately felt like he didn't quite understand women as much as he thought.
Was that kind of tense relationship really considered "good"?
It seemed like little Ritsuka was fooled by what appeared to be a casual conversation earlier.
"Of course, they're close."
Ritsuka, being a child, could sense that the two sisters weren't bad people.
In fact, in some ways, they even seemed to care for each other.
"I hope so."
He was merely a beginner in magecraft, and his understanding of magus' power came solely from what he had heard from Rin.
To be continued...
...
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